There are birds that can fly, and there are others that can’t. And there are humans who wished they’d wings. Though, humans has devised machines to fly across the world, from places to places. But what about those Flightless birds? Wish they’d a Wright-birdy-Brothers among them as well.
But that doesn’t make them any miserable to its free-flying friends, they enjoy being a bird, with what they’ve.
They’ve wings and feathers, but still couldn’t fly? Why so?
Also Read: Top 6 Smallest Bird In The World.
There are only two reasons behind that separates flightless birds from flying ones. One, they’ve small wing bones, and keel(anchor muscle needed for wings movement) that lacks on their breastbone. And, sometimes the heavy body-weight, think of something, 9 feet tall and weighs 100kg(or more), Ostrich!
Top 6 Birds That Can’t Fly – List Of Flightless Birds
1. Ostrich
Ostrich, native to Africa, one king size flightless bird. Its features are prefixed as either largest or fastest or powerful. Ostrich has full-fluffy set of wings having wing span of about 2 metres, but not enough to support the body that weighs 63 to 145 kilograms, something that stands 9 feet tall and a powerful pair of feet , strong enough to blow your brains out.
What if they couldn’t fly, they can run at up to about 43mph. And that’s the fastest land speed on the earth. They’re the largest land species and also lay the largest egg about 5 inches in diameter and 3 pounds in weight.
2. Emu
Emu, largest bird native to Australia, shares almost same features as Ostrich. Despite the size and shape, almost similar to Ostrich, they lack the full-fluffy wings like it. 5ft – 6.2ft is the largest Emu bird ever recorded. And weighs nearly 18 – 45 kilograms.
Talking about the wings, they’ve small vestigial wings, measuring 20 inches as per wing chord. They flaps their wings while running, which is believed that such action provide stability to the bird.
Their strong enough feet, read it, metal fence ripping strong, allows them to run at a greater like 30mph. Apart from that, strong and sharp claws are also its major defensive attribute.
3. Cassowary
Cassowary, native to the tropical forests of New Guinea, nearby islands, and north-eastern Australia, Ostrich and Emu sounds like just the same. But Cassowary is different flightless bird all together. I don’t know if Ostrich or Emu would attack a human being or not, but Cassowary is some flightless, shy bird, you don’t want to mess with.
Same reason, as of Emu, a bird too heavy to take a flight due to its very small wings, just like porcupine quills, with no barbs. Just soft and feathery all over the body. Over the head, they sport a casques made up of keratin(the same substance your nails are made up of)
They stands 4.9 – 5.9ft tall and weighs 60kg. With the help of their powerful feet, they can run at about 31mph through dense forest. Sharp dagger like claws of about 5 inch is what they use as a weapon when felt suspicious of any danger.
4. Rhea
When it comes to features, shape and make, you might took it for Ostrich. Rhea, could gain a good height of 5.5ft and can weigh up to 40 kilograms.
Despite the large wing span of 8.2ft, they couldn’t make it off the ground, remember, the keel, think, I told you about. They don’t have it. Other than that, they’re almost like Ostrich.
Strong legs, full-fluffy wings to span while running. Long neck. The largest flightless bird, if you’d look in the American sub-continent.
5. Kiwi
Kiwi, is a different flightless bird as to what listed above in this list of flightless birds. They’ve hidden vestigial wings, and hair like feathers. Feathers just to cover the skin, and not something like wings that spans while they run or walk.
The largest kiwi, you might think of is 18 inch in height and weighing 3.3kg. Kiwi lay one egg at a time, which weighs approx. one pound. As compared to the size of the bird, this is the biggest egg of any living species.
Also Read: Top 6 Clever Animal Camouflage Picture.
Do they attack? Do they’ve sharp, dagger like strong toes and claws? What are you talking about! No!
Oh, The kiwi is a national symbol of New Zealand.
6. Penguin
You must be totally aware about the shape and size and make of this bird. An aquatic bird living in the Southern Hemisphere, the lands of Antarctica. Something black and white and somewhat yellow. 18 species of penguins and not one could fly.
Their body structure is highly adapted for aquatic life, they’ve wings, you would like it right, if I call them flippers.
Largest penguin stands 3ft 7 in tall and weighs about 35kg. And do you think they can move even inch off of a ground with that kind of wings, err, flippers. And the smallest among them stands 16 inch tall and weighs only a kilogram. And, they can swim. That’s where their flippers would beat wings any day.
Wrapping Up
Sometimes, it’s the keel thing, that’s missing. Sometimes they weighs a quintal, and stands tall than a healthy human. Some have feathers more than a flying bird have. Sometimes, it’s their lifestyle which is not suited to the flying birds. Some have feathers just to cover their bare skin.
Every bird is different. These flightless birds enjoy the vast and barren lands, and run wild and fast as they could. While others span and soar high in the sky.
100 birds that can’t fly